iAm Going Home
by Klutzygirl33
Summary: Future fic. After five years, Carly Shay-Benson is returning home to get her husband back, only to find that he's dating her best friend, Sam. Meanwhile, Spencer's in love with Sam. Creddie, Seddie, and Spam.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly or anything related to the show.

* * *

Carly Shay-Benson hadn't been to Seattle in five years. The twenty-nine year old was afraid of going home. She had left Seattle very suddenly.

Facing her estranged husband was going to be hard. She hadn't spoken to Freddie at all. Carly had just realized her mistake of leaving him and wanted Freddie back.

Carly sighed and took a deep breath. She entered Spencer's apartment. "Hello," she called nervously.

Spencer popped up from under the kitchen sink. "Carly?" he asked, surprised.

"Hey, Spence. I'm back," Carly told him. She had only spoken to Spencer four times in the past five years.

"What are you doing here?" Spencer questioned. He was angry at Carly for just abandoning everyone like she had. Spencer had raised her.

"I'm back for good," Carly explained. She had a lot to make up for, but could do it.

Spencer sighed. "You need to explain to Sam, Freddie, Emily, and I why you left, Carly. You hurt every single one of us."

"How is Emily?" Carly asked. She had always regretted leaving her daughter, but it had been for Emily's own good. She didn't want to hurt her.

"She's great, considering the fact that her mother abandoned her," Spencer angrily told his sister.

"I couldn't take it anymore," Carly replied, trying to defend herself. She couldn't handle being the perfect wife and mother.

"I have an art class tonight. Make yourself at home," Spencer said, changing the subject. He taught art for little kids at the local community college.

"I want Freddie back," Carly admitted to her brother. She loved her husband and daughter so much.

Spencer scoffed. "You're not going to get him back, Carly. He's moved on and wants a divorce."

"I'm not giving him one," Carly immediately decided. She would make this marriage work.

The door opened suddenly and Emily Shay-Benson stepped inside. "Uncle Spence, I'm here for dinner," the thirteen year old told him.

Carly stared at her daughter in shock. Emily had been eight when she left. She had grown up so much.

"Hi, Emily. I'm not sure if you remember me, but I'm home for good," Carly explained.

"Why?" asked the bitter and angry teenager. Emily didn't want her mother back.

"I realized that I made a mistake," Carly told her. She should have realized that Emily wouldn't be happy to see her.

Emily scoffed. "You never should have left in the first place, _Carly_. She thought she had missed her mother, but now hated her. Emily was conflicted.

Carly winced. "I really am sorry," she tried.

Emily rolled her eyes. "I don't believe you. You're selfish." She wasn't about to let Carly back in and end up getting hurt again.

Carly sighed. "I admit that I was selfish, but I can prove to you that I'm back for good." She hadn't been doing too well when she had decided to leave.

Emily glared at her. "I hate you," she spat.

"Emily Abigail Shay-Benson," warned Spencer. He was mad at Carly too, but would not let his niece disrespect her mother.

"Fine," Emily replied. She left the apartment and went across the hall. She unlocked the door to Marissa Benson's apartment. Her grandmother would be angry with her.

"I'm going to have so much to make up for," Carly murmured. Her daughter didn't really hate her, did she?

"Carly, why did you even leave in the first place?" Spencer asked. He didn't understand why she had up and left. Carly had never bolted like that before. It wasn't in her nature. Or at least he thought it had been in her nature.

"You've asked me that before," Carly admitted her brother. She was getting sick and tired of the question. Carly had always refused to answer, and she would continue to do so.

"And I still want to know," Spencer shot back. Maybe he'd understand better if she just explained her reasons for leaving.

"I'm going to see Freddie and then Sam," Carly informed him, trying desperately to get Spencer's mind off the subject. She had missed her best friend, and wondered what Sam was up to. Sam had refused to take her calls after she had left.

Spencer went to tell his sister that Sam was probably with Freddie, but decided not to. Carly had to find out for herself. Maybe she'd actually agree to the divorce. "See you later, Carly."

After Carly went out the door, Spencer went across the hall to get his niece. "Hi, Mrs. Benson," he said.

Marissa Benson glared at him. "Emily told me that your sister, the girl that abandoned my baby, is back in town." She had told Freddie from the beginning that marrying that girl had been a mistake, but he hadn't listened to her.

"She is, Mrs. Benson. I think she'll realize that she made a mistake leaving everyone and she'll grant Freddie a divorce," Spencer told her. He also knew that it had been a mistake for Carly to get married so young, but he really thought the marriage would work out. Spencer had been wrong and was ready to tell his sister and brother-in-law that.

"She better," Marissa muttered. Her son and granddaughter had been devastated when Carly had abandoned them.

XXXXXX

Carly nearly fell apart when she got to her and Freddie's old apartment. What was she going to do if Freddie hated her like Emily? She sighed and knocked on the door. Carly didn't want to just barge in, like she had done at Spencer's apartment.

Freddie opened the door and was shocked to find his wife standing there. "Carly, you're back," he told her in amazement.

Carly nodded. "I've decided that I'm back home and I'm never leaving again," she explained. Her heart was pounding in her chest right now, and Carly was completely and utterly nervous.

"After five years?" Freddie questioned. He could have understood if she had maybe left for a year, but five years was too long. That's why he had decided that he wanted a divorce three years ago.

"Yes," Carly replied. She should have known that returning home wouldn't be so easy. Why hadn't she thought of that earlier?

"Who's that?" Sam said, coming out of the bathroom with only a towel on. She and Carly stared at each, both wondering what was happening.

"Hi," Carly told her, suspicious about why exactly Sam was in a towel in her husband's apartment.

"Freddie and I are together now," Sam blurted out, panicked beyond belief.

Carly felt like the rug had been pulled out from under her feet.

So much had changed in five years. Many more changes were to come.

* * *

I've had this idea in my head since the summer. Since I had all week off for Thanksgiving, I decided to write it. It's going to be ten parts. Maybe more, but I doubt it.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own iCarly or anything related to the show. No copyright infringement intended.

* * *

"Are you together?" Carly questioned. She never thought that Freddie would have moved on, especially with Sam.

Sam nodded. "I'm sorry," she said. She and Freddie had bonded over their devastation when Carly had left, and one thing had led to another.

"I came to get you back," Carly reluctantly admitted to Freddie. How was she supposed to steal her husband back from her best friend? Carly didn't want to damage their friendship even more.

"You and Freddie are done. And I take back my sorry," Sam replied. How dare Carly come back to the family she had abandoned five years ago and decide to get Freddie back.

"I love him and I'm sorry!" Carly yelled. She felt like crying, but that wasn't an option at the moment. She didn't want to humiliate herself further.

"Did you see Emily yet?" asked Freddie. He knew that his and Carly's daughter would be hurt by her sudden return to town.

"Yeah," Carly replied. Freddie and Sam couldn't have a good relationship. They had still been fighting all the time before she left. Nothing could have changed.

"How'd she react?" Sam really wanted to know. Emily was very important to her. She had been in the delivery room with Carly, although she had been disgusted by the birth.

"She said she hated me," Carly told them. Why she was admitting this? She didn't want anymore ammo against her.

"I'm not surprised," Freddie muttered to Sam. Emily had been getting angrier and angrier at Carly as the years had passed.

"Me neither," Sam admitted. She had also seen Emily's resentment for Carly grow over the past five years.

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here," Carly snapped angrily. Why were they ignoring her? She admitted to making a mistake, but that didn't give them the right to treat them this way.

Sam sighed. "Why don't we all go out to dinner tomorrow night and talk about things?" she suggested. It would probably be awkward, but Sam didn't care.

"Sure," Carly agreed. She wanted to see everyone at once. That way, they could all forgive her at once.

"I don't think Emily will go," Freddie told his wife. He had no doubt that Emily would refuse to spend any time with her mother.

"It can just be us adults. Em can stay with your mother," Carly decided. She would talk to Emily later.

"We'll meet tomorrow at 7:00 at Spencer's apartment," Sam told her boyfriend and former best friend. Carly wouldn't get her forgiveness easily or maybe even not at all.

"I like that plan," Carly replied. She was going to stay in Seattle for good this time, and prove it to everyone.

"We'll talk later, Carly." Freddie practically began to push his wife out the door. He didn't want to talk about her right now.

"Okay, Freddie." Carly left her old apartment and returned to Spencer's place. He and Emily were eating dinner.

"Dinner's great, Uncle Spence," Emily raved to her uncle. She loved spaghetti tacos so much. They were awesome.

"Thanks, Emily," Spencer answered. He knew how much Emily loved spaghetti tacos. She had once eaten ten in one day before. Sam had claimed to be really proud of her.

"Can I have one?" Carly questioned. She had missed Spencer's spaghetti tacos when she was gone.

Spencer nodded. "As long as you promise not to bolt later," he muttered under his breath. Spencer was being passive-aggressive and he knew it, but didn't care.

Carly decided to let that slide. They could get everything out of the way tomorrow, so she could begin to explain why exactly she had left. "Thanks, Spence. Emily, stay clean," she warned.

"I don't have to listen to you. You left me and Dad," Emily sing-songed. She couldn't wait to go home so she could just ignore Carly.

Carly closed her eyes before heading up the stairs to the old iCarly studio. Emily was purposely trying to hurt her by being cruel, and she wasn't going to let her teenage daughter affect her like this. "I know that, Emily." She continued heading up the stairs. She would not cry.

"Emily, what did I tell you about this?" Spencer scolded. He might not be Emily's legal guardian, but Freddie had given him permission to punish her.

"I'll apologize to her later," Emily said. She had no intention of doing so, but her uncle believed it.

"You'll apologize to her now," Spencer insisted. He was not going to let his niece get away with this.

Emily rolled her eyes, but listened to her uncle. She got in the elevator to go upstairs. She didn't want to face the mother that had abandoned her. "I can see her and apologize," Emily whispered to herself.

"What are you doing up here? Shouldn't you be eating with your Uncle Spencer?" Carly asked. Her long-forgotten maternal instincts were kicking in again with a vengeance.

"I came to apologize," Emily explained. Her mother didn't deserve forgiveness from anyone, especially from her.

"I know your uncle sent you up there. It's okay," Carly assured her daughter. She was going to have to work hard to get everybody's forgiveness, and it would probably take a long time.

Emily shrugged. "That's good then. I'm going to go home soon. Dad and Aunt Sam are expecting me soon, since Uncle Spence has a class tonight." She was going to take art lessons from her uncle soon, but so far, her dad wanted her to wait.

"When did your dad and Aunt Sam together?" questioned a curious Carly. She was still unsure of how that had happened.

"You'll find out soon," Emily told her. She liked Aunt Sam, but she didn't want her with her father. They didn't belong together.

Carly sighed. "How's school going?" she asked. She just wanted to know what her daughter's grades were.

"Great. I made honor roll last semester," Emily informed her. She was great in school. She had failed a few tests over the years, but was generally a straight A student.

"Of course. You are your father's daughter," Carly murmured. She was glad that Emily was like Freddie.

It was better, considering the alternative. On her sixteenth birthday, Carly had gotten pregnant by Shane, Freddie's old friend in the AV Club. Carly had decided to keep the baby, while Shane wanted nothing to do with her. Spencer had been disappointed in his sister, but supported her decision. Sam and Freddie had stuck by her. She and Freddie had become a couple in her seventh month of pregnancy. They had married at eighteen. Since Shane had signed away his parental rights, Freddie immediately adopted Emily. She had been calling him "Daddy" anyway. Sam had been the maid-of-honor and Spencer the best man at the wedding.

Six years later, Carly had left Seattle. She just hoped she could make up for all the problems that had been caused by her leaving. Carly had no choice in the matter. She really couldn't handle being the perfect wife and mother.

Hopefully, dinner would change things tomorrow.

No one had any idea how much of a disaster dinner was going to be.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day, Sam went over to Spencer's apartment to eat breakfast. Freddie was taking Emily to school. "Hey, Spence!" she called.

"Hey, Sam. Carly went to the store," Spencer explained to her, coming out of his bedroom. He had been prepared to make breakfast for his sister, but Carly had insisted on doing everything herself.

"That's good," she replied. She had been hoping to talk to Spencer alone, anyway. Sam liked having private conversations with him, without Freddie or Carly or even Marissa Benson around.

"Sam, what are you doing here?" Spencer questioned. He hadn't seen her this often in a long time, and he was confused.

"I came to see my best friend," Sam told him. She began looking for something to eat in the kitchen. Carly couldn't have eaten everything already, could she?

"You haven't come around to see me in awhile," Spencer pointed out. She was always with Freddie or Emily. He missed her.

"I wanted to talk to you about Carly," she explained, starting to get irritated. Why was Spencer acting like this?

"What about her?" Spencer asked. He didn't know where Sam was heading with this, but it had better be somewhere good.

"Will you just leave me alone?" Sam snapped. Spencer had been driving her up the wall lately, and she just wished it would stop.

"I will not leave you alone, Sam. I'm really worried about you," Spencer confessed. Why didn't she understand that? Sam seemed to be heading on a downward spiral lately, especially now that Carly was back.

"You don't have to be. I'm fine, _Spencer_. Leave me alone," Sam insisted. She just wanted everything to go back to normal. Couldn't that happen?

"I can't leave you alone, Sam! I still love you!" Spencer cried. He was so glad that Carly was gone at this moment.

"We both agreed this relationship was over," Sam angrily replied. What business did Spencer have bringing up their failed relationship?

"You agreed this relationship was over," he corrected. Spencer still didn't understand why she had ended it.

"Because you didn't want to be with me anymore!" Sam screamed. After Carly had abandoned everyone, Spencer had started lashing out and that's when she knew that they were over.

"I was going through a rough time! My baby sister had just left for no apparent reason!" Spencer spat. Why was she throwing this in his face?

"We never would have lasted anyway!" Sam shot back, knowing that would hurt Spencer. She just wanted to forget the last five years.

"We were engaged to be married and you left because you couldn't handle it! You wouldn't even tell anyone about our relationship!" Spencer screamed back. He had been hurt by her various reasons not to tell anyone about being together.

"What would they have thought, Spencer? We have a big age difference between us, not to mention the fact that my best friend is your sister!" Sam was happy with Freddie. She could even see herself falling in love with him.

Spencer scoffed. "Those are the same excuses you used when we were dating, but that didn't stop you from accepting my proposal, Sam."

Sam sighed. "Spence, I still love you too, but we could never work. I'm happy with Freddie. You can find someone else to fall in love with. You can be happy just like I am." She really did want him to be happy.

Spencer scoffed. "Do you really think you and Freddie will last, Sam? I don't think so. You don't have a chance now that Carly's back. I told her that Freddie wants a divorce, but how long will that last? Freddie's loved her for years. He hated you for a long time. Grow up and accept the facts." He wasn't trying to hurt Sam, but he wanted to get through to her.

Sam glared at him. "Shut up, Spencer. I don't have to listen to this. Freddie and I are together, and that isn't going to change, despite the fact that Carly is back. I'll see you at dinner." She turned around and slammed the door shut as she left.

Spencer sighed. He really was still in love with Sam, but didn't want to hurt Freddie. He had to get Freddie and Carly back together somehow.

XXXXXXX

Later, everyone would be glad that Emily Shay-Benson had chosen to spend the night at her grandmother's. She would miss the disaster that was dinner.

"What are you doing?" Carly asked her brother right before they left. Spencer was obviously hiding something, but she wasn't sure what.

"Nothing," Spencer lied. He was still upset over the fight he and Sam had earlier, and that was affecting his mood.

"Spencer, tell me," Carly insisted. What was her brother hiding? He never was good at keeping a secret. That's why Carly practically knew everything about Spencer.

"I'm feeding the fish," Spencer mumbled. Carly didn't hear him, however.

"Speak up," she ordered. Why exactly was Spencer mumbling? Whatever he was hiding had to be big.

Spencer glared at her. "Feeding my fish, Fishy McFishy," he explained. He loved his fish so much. They were cute.

"Spencer, you know you kill your fish. Stop getting them," Carly replied. Why did her brohter insist on getting new fish? They always ended up dying because of some stupid reason.

"I promise," Spencer muttered. Why did Carly have to be mean about his fish? They never did anything to her. Except for when she was nine and one of the fish had accidentally gotten out of the bowl and landed in her hair.

"Good." Carly followed her brother out the door, and they left for the restaurant.

Sam and Freddie were already there, waiting for the two Shay siblings to show up. "Finally," Sam muttered under her breath. Freddie shot his girlfriend a confusing look. They had only been seated for ten minutes.

"What's wrong with you?" Freddie asked. Sam was so confusing sometimes. She had gotten weird earlier when he had asked about Spencer, and refused to talk about him.

Dinner would only get worse from here.


	4. Chapter 4

Spencer was trying to avoid looking Sam in the eye, but also trying to play with her at the same time. He wanted to make her mad, so they could at least do something about what was happening.

Carly and Freddie were staring at each other, but pretending not to. Carly still loved him so much, but she had a very important reason for leaving. Freddie knew that, didn't he?

Freddie was trying not to be caught in the middle of Sam and Carly. This was a very awkward situation. "What are you doing tomorrow?" he asked Spencer, desperately hoping they could get a conversation going.

Spencer shrugged. "Probably going to a movie. Sam, you want to go?" he asked. Going to the movies had been their code for elevator sex. They had had codes for lots of things.

Sam glared at him. "Shut up," she hissed. Carly and Freddie shot them confused looks. What was going on with Sam and Spencer?

"I think we should go back to my apartment," Spencer decided, changing the subject. He was planning on getting Sam really upset later, but that could wait.

"We could go play at the arcade. Emily's going to spend the day with Carly," Freddie explained. He figured that his daughter should spend time with her mother. It was only right, even if Emily didn't want to.

"Really?" questioned the surprised, but happy Carly. Emily really hated her, so it would be hard to get her daughter in the same room. Emily had ignored her earlier, at Spencer's apartment. Carly didn't blame her.

"Sure," Spencer agreed, talking to Freddie. He was going to beat Freddie at any game they played, but he didn't have to know that.

"Of course," Freddie assured his wife. Emily would eventually forgive Carly, even if he couldn't at the moment. He was heading to the lawyer's soon, and filing for divorce.

Carly smiled. "I can't wait," she declared. She was already coming up with something to do. Maybe they could go to Groovy Smoothie. She, Sam, and Freddie had always loved that place. Maybe they could even go to Mr. Gallini's old pie shop. That pie was still the best pie she had ever tasted, despite the fact that she had moved to New York.

"You already have something planned for her," Sam declared. She still knew Carly, despite her five year disappearance.

Carly nodded. "Lots of things," she explained. Carly had missed her daughter, and regretted leaving her, Freddie, Sam, and Spencer. The guilt had really set in now.

"I want to sign off on them," Freddie decided. He didn't want Carly taking their thirteen year old daughter somewhere glad.

"I gave birth to her, Freddie. You're not her biological father," Carly snapped. She knew that it was a low blow and that she had just hurt her husband, but Emily was important to her. Didn't Freddie understand that she was trying her best to make up for the missed five years?

"You left and I've raised her for five years. You may have given birth to her, but you are no longer her mother," Freddie shot back. Where did his wife get off playing the "not the biological father" card? She didn't deserve to use it.

"Will you shut up?" Spencer asked. He didn't want Carly and Freddie to end up fighting tonight. That was not the purpose of dinner.

"We need to be peaceful tonight. Fight later, when we're not in a crowded place," Sam ordered, purposely trying not to look at Spencer, who was playing footsies with her.

"She's right," Spencer agreed, nearly laughing when Sam sent a glare his way. He lived to make her mad sometimes.

"Fine," Carly replied. She didn't want to fight either. Hopefully, she and Freddie would be back together soon enough, and they could forget all about the fighting that had been occurring lately.

Sam was getting sick and tired of Spencer trying to play footsies, so she decided to kick him. That would teach him.

"Ow!" Carly cried, rubbing her shin. She wondered who had kicked her.

"Sorry, Carly. I was aiming for your brother," Sam explained, trying not to laugh. At least she had gotten a little revenge against Carly, even though it had been unintentional.

"What'd Spence do now?" the confused Carly asked, suddenly realizing that her shin would definitely be bruised tomorrow. Sam kicked really hard.

"He's being a jerk," Sam replied. She didn't want to reveal the true reason. The truth about her and Spencer's relationship couldn't come out now. It would ruin everything, and that couldn't happen. Sam was determined to make her and Freddie's relationship work, no matter what.

"And she's being annoying," Spencer told his sister and brother-in-law. He and Sam hadn't fought this much since Carly had left and after their break-up. Spencer kind of missed it, actually.

"What's up with you two?" a suspicious Freddie asked. Spencer and Sam hadn't acted this weird in a long time.

"Nothing," Sam lied. She hoped that Freddie accepted the lie as truth, just so everything would go away and be fine again.

"You're acting weird," Carly observed. She had only been back for a few days, but it was very noticeable.

"No, we're not," Sam tried again, frantic to get Carly and Freddie off the subject. She hoped Spencer would help with that.

"I wonder how Emily's doing with Mrs. Benson," Spencer said. Marissa Benson adored Emily, even if she wasn't her biological granddaughter. She tended to do the same thing to Emily that she had done to Freddie all of his life.

Sam nearly sighed in relief. "She's probably being driven crazy by that weird old lady," she commented.

Carly stifled a laugh. "We always were. Do you remember how she made me sit down and eat so much healthy food when I got pregnant? Marissa didn't agree with my choices, but she did want me and the baby to be healthy," she remembered. Everyone had been very supportive of her during her pregnancy, despite the fact that she had been sixteen. She and Spencer's father had died a year later, so he had never heard the news.

Sam did laugh. "She went even crazier than usual, and it wasn't even her biological grandchild. Mrs. Benson nearly interrupted iCarly so many times during those last few months."

"I still can't believe you went into labor while filming iCarly," Freddie remembered. They had ended the web show early that day, even though Carly's labor had been labor. iCarly had returned only two weeks later.

"I panicked," Sam admitted. Nobody had expected Carly to go in labor while on the air. That episode had received tons of hits, though. Congratulations had been sent in from iCarly fans.

"You panicked? I ran around the apartment screaming," Freddie reminded his girlfriend.

"Emily was the best thing that ever happened to me," Carly said. Getting pregnant at sixteen hadn't been in her plans, but she didn't regret keeping the baby.

"Me too," Freddie replied. He still remembered Carly bringing Emily home from the hospital, and bonding with the newborn baby girl.

"I'm hungry," Sam whined. She couldn't wait to eat. Food was good. Food helped her get through the day.

"The food's coming soon," Freddie assured her. He could never keep food in the apartment because of his girlfriend, but that was okay. He really liked having Sam as his girlfriend.

"I'm so sorry I left," Carly apologized to the three. She would continue to apologize for as long as she could. She would also apologize until someone finally forgave her.

"You can keep saying it, but won't believe it," Sam angrily informed her. Why did Carly keep ruining things?

"You left for some reason that you're not telling us," Freddie told her. Why couldn't Carly just tell everyone? Whatever the secret had sent her running for five years.

"You know why I left," Carly answered. If they didn't, they didn't need to know why she had left. It was her secret to keep.

"We really don't," Sam replied. It was really weird that Carly was being so secretive about why she had left. Why wasn't she revealing anything about her reason for leaving? Leaving for five years wasn't a good thing at all.

"Leave me alone! I don't want to talk about it!" Carly cried angrily. Why was everyone ganging up on her? Something was obviously up with Sam and her brother. Why wasn't anyone bothering them?

"You need to talk about it sometime," Freddie pointed out to his wife. He was angry with her for leaving him and Emily. What had they done to deserve her abandoning them? Absolutely nothing.

"No, I don't!" Carly cried. She didn't come to dinner tonight to get hounded by her husband, brother, and best friend.

"Sam and I were dating before Carly left and were engaged!" Spencer shouted, hoping that would get everyone from yelling at Carly.

The whole table went silent and stared at him.

* * *

Next chapter will be up tomorrow. I hope to finish by Tuesday. I already have the epilogue planned out.


	5. Chapter 5

Carly was the first to recover. "What are you talking about, Spencer?" she asked. Sam and Spencer couldn't have been together. She and Freddie would have known. Sam couldn't keep a secret from her, and Spencer was a bad liar.

"He's just acting weird," the frantic Sam tried. Why would he do this to her? Spencer knew that she didn't want their secret revealed.

"I'm not acting weird. Sam and I were together for three years. We got engaged a few weeks before Carly left. She didn't want to tell anyone about our relationship. I agreed. We broke up and she's with Freddie now," Spencer explained. He actually felt better now that the truth was out.

"You just had to do it, didn't you?" Sam asked. She couldn't believe Spencer. She had trusted him.

"You were all ganging up on Carly," Spencer hissed. Even though he was still mad at his sister, he didn't want them to hurt her.

"We should probably go," Freddie commented. He had already known about Spencer and Sam, so it didn't bother him. He had walked in them once, a few weeks before Carly had abandoned everyone.

"But we didn't eat," Sam whined, and Carly nodded her head in agreement. She was starving too.

Freddie and Spencer both sighed angrily. "Fine, we'll stay," Spencer agreed. The girls were way too whiny sometimes.

"You know I just realized? Sam is technically Freddie's mistress," Carly mused a few minutes later. She didn't know why she had just realized that now.

Spencer laughed. "I realized that the minute she and Freddie told me they were dating," he informed his sister. Now that Carly was back, he was mad that Freddie seemed to be cheating on her right in front of her face.

"We're together and happy," Sam told them, trying to defend her relationship with Freddie. She liked him. They were good together. Why didn't anyone understand that?

"I'm really happy with her," Freddie corrected. He liked Sam a lot. She got his mind off of Carly, and what had happened between them.

"You ever realize how neither of you have claimed to love each other?" Spencer questioned. Why were they even in a relationship if they didn't even feel love for the other, besides friendship?

"I'm still reeling from your announcement that you and Sam were together," Carly said. They had kept this a secret for such a long time. If Freddie had known, why hadn't he told her?

"Sam begged me not to tell after I caught her and Spencer having sex on the couch," Freddie explained to his wife. He had never sat down on that couch again. Or gone on the elevator again.

"I sat down on that couch yesterday," a disgusted Carly whined. She was going back to Spencer's and immediately disinfecting the couch. Or buying a new one. Either way worked.

Freddie laughed at her. "Don't ever go on the elevator again if that grosses you out," he said.

The rest of dinner went by smoothly, and everyone was very grateful for that.

XXXXXX

Carly and Emily were sitting on a bench, just talking. Emily still hadn't forgiven her mother for leaving, and wasn't about to. "Why'd you leave?" Emily questioned.

Carly sighed. "Em, I left for a grown up reason that I'll tell you later. But I had to leave. You need to understand that. I am so sorry, Baby."

"I don't think I can ever forgive you," Emily admitted. She hadn't seen her mother in five years, and she was refusing to answer questions that should be easy.

Carly struggled not to cry. She had probably just lost her daughter for good, and it was all her fault. "I can understand that," she replied.

"Why?" asked a curious Emily. What did her mother know about being abandoned? She had lived with Uncle Spencer all her life.

"My mother, who was also named Emily, died when I was eight months old in a car accident. I lived with your grandfather for only six years before he dumped me on your uncle. Spencer didn't mind. He wanted to raise me. In fact, he even asked your grandfather if he could be legal guardian. Spencer did raise me. I am forever grateful to him for that," Carly explained to her daughter.

Emily smiled at her mother. "That was so sweet of Uncle Spence," she replied. She had never exactly understood why her uncle had been her mother's legal guardian. Now she knew and understood a little bit better.

"You were so little when I left. I still can't believe how much you've grown in five years. I remember you being so little that you rode on your dad's shoulders," Carly remembered. Those had been great days, and made wonderful memories.

"I remember when I broke my leg on the jungle gym at school," Emily said. She had been crying and asking for her parents, Uncle Spencer, or Aunt Sam. All four had shown up and gone to the hospital with her.

"I was hysterical and ended up falling apart after we got home and you fell asleep from exhaustion," Carly told her. That had been her first real injury, besides scraped knees, as a parent. She had panicked.

"Nobody ever told me that before." Emily was finding out a lot of things she hadn't known before, now that her mother was back. She still hated Carly, but at least she was learning new stuff.

As the rift finally started to heal between Carly and Emily, everyone else was doing their own thing.

XXXXXXX

Spencer was working on a new art project that had been commissioned by one of the richest men in Seattle. He was going to get paid a lot of money for whatever he came up with it, and Spencer couldn't wait. He was going to put the money in Emily's college fund, because she deserved it.

"What are you doing?" Marissa Benson asked him. Spencer worked on so many odd art projects, and she was curious about them.

"Working on a project that Mason Gerrity commissioned me to do. He's paying me $350, 000," Spencer explained to her. If Mason liked his art, he'd pay him even more for another project. Spencer couldn't say no to that.

Marissa was shocked. "That better be going in Emily's college fund," she warned. Everyone contributed some money to the college fund. It was important that Emily got a good job once she graduated from college.

"It is," Spencer assured her. He was only going to keep about $10 out of the money, because Emily would need it more than he did.

"That's good," Marissa replied. Was that boy clean? He needed a bath or a shower to get all the dirt off him.

As Marissa began changing Spencer around the apartment to get him clean, he reflected on the changes that Carly's return had brought.

XXXXXXX

Freddie and Sam were at home, just relaxing. Both hoped that Carly and Emily's day out together was going well. Freddie desperately wanted it to go well.

"What are you doing?" he asked his girlfriend. Sam had been acting weird all morning.

"Nothing," Sam called. She was really hungry right now. Sam went over to the kitchen.

Twenty minutes later, Sam went over to the couch and sat down next to her boyfriend. "What's up?" Freddie asked her.

Sam took a deep breath. This could change their lives. "I think I'm pregnant," she confessed.


	6. Chapter 6

Freddie just stared at her. "What?" he asked her. Had Sam just said that she thought that she was pregnant?

"I told you that I think I'm pregnant," Sam repeated. Why didn't Freddie understand that? This was life altering news.

"You just said that you think. That means you're not sure," Freddie pointed out to her. Maybe he was in the clear. He loved Emily, but didn't exactly want to be a father with Sam.

Sam glared at him. "It still means that there's a chance that I'm carrying your baby, **Fredward. **She wasn't exactly happy about potentially being pregnant with Freddie's baby. Sam wasn't ready to be a mother yet.

"You need to go see your doctor to make sure if you're pregnant or not," he decided. If Sam really was pregnant, then Freddie could panic then. There was no use panicking now.

"I made an appointment. I go in two days," Sam explained. She could take a pregnancy test, but she preferred hearing the news from the doctor.

"Why do we have to wait two days?" Freddie questioned. The waiting was going to drive him nuts. He needed to know soon.

"Because that was the earliest I could get in," Sam snapped. She didn't want to wait two days either, but Sam was dealing with it the best way she knew how.

"I'm going go over to Spencer's to visit and play Pac Rat," he replied. He needed to get away from Sam for a little while. She didn't live with him, but that didn't matter.

"You obsess over that game way too much," Sam muttered. At least Spencer had played it when there was nothing else to do.

"You didn't mind so much when Spencer played," Freddie shot back. He knew it would hurt her, but Freddie really wasn't sure of how to react right now.

"Just go and leave me alone," Sam angrily told him. She was going to go home, eat, and relax for the next two days. She would try to forget about the fact that she could be pregnant with Freddie Benson's baby.

Freddie rolled his eyes, but left the apartment anyway. Sam left for her own apartment a few minutes later. Freddie called Carly to tell her to drop Emily off at Spencer's because he wasn't going to go home for awhile.

"What are you doing here?" Spencer asked Freddie. He was still working on his art project. It was taking him a long time.

"Sam thinks she's pregnant and I don't want her to be," Freddie frantically explained to his brother-in-law. Spencer still loved her. He would understand.

"What are you talking about?" Marissa Benson asked, coming down the steps. She had just finished cleaning all three floors of the apartment.

"Nothing," Freddie lied, really hoping that his mother hadn't heard him. She would freak out on him, despite the fact that both he and Sam were twenty-nine.

"Don't lie to me, Fredward Anthony Benson! You just said that the Samantha girl you're dating thinks she's pregnant," Marissa angrily replied. This was not good news. Sam wasn't good for Freddie, either. She liked Sam, but not enough that she wanted a grandchild from her.

Freddie sighed in frustration. "We're not sure if she actually is pregnant. She didn't take a test, but is going to the doctor's. The earliest Sam could get in is in two days. We won't know until then," he informed Spencer and his mother.

"Why are you telling me this?" Spencer asked, hurt building up. Sam should be with him. If she was pregnant with Freddie's baby, everything was ruined.

"Because you're my best friend, Spencer. It doesn't matter that you love Sam and I'm dating her. I need your advice," Freddie explained. Despite the fact that he didn't want to panic about Sam's potential pregnancy, he was anyway.

"That's so nice, Freddie. You're my best friend, too. You know, besides Sam," Spencer answered. He really needed to finish this project, and everyone bothering him was not good. Especially now that he knew that Sam could be pregnant with another man's baby.

Marissa sighed. "I have to go clean my apartment. I hope that Sam isn't pregnant, Fredward. You also need to talk to that wife of yours. She needs to know. You also need to tell her about you filing for divorce," she told her son. Marissa headed back over to her own apartment.

"What am I supposed to do?" Freddie asked Spencer once his mother left. For some weird reason, he could raise a baby with Carly, but not with Sam. What was up with that?

"You're going to calm down and think about the pros and cons," Spencer advised. He usually didn't give advice (or good advice, if he gave any), but this was important. He and Sam had talked about having their own children after getting engaged, and had made a list of pros and cons. The lists of pros had outweighed the cons. They had decided to start trying for a baby when Carly had left and their relationship had been ruined.

"That's a good idea. Thanks, Spence." Freddie went over to the counter and got on Spencer's laptop. He began making the list. This would take him awhile.

"You're welcome, Freddie. Now I'm going to get back to my art project," Spencer explained. His mind was all over the place right now. There had still been a chance that he and Sam could get back together before, but now that wasn't true. If Sam was pregnant, their relationship was over for good. Why would she want to be with him if she was having Freddie's baby?

"This is going to take me forever," Freddie whined, but stop talking when Spencer glared at him. He was glad his brother-in-law was being so understand, but Freddie knew that Spencer was hurt.

The door opened, and Carly and Emily stepped in. "Hi, Dad. Hi Uncle Spence!" Emily called. Carly smiled at her daughter. Emily adored her father and uncle so much.

"What are you two doing?" Carly asked. She was confused. She thought that Freddie and Sam were spending the day together, relaxing and being all couple-ly. That thought hurt her, but Carly had to bide her time until their relationship ended.

"Nothing," Freddie lied. He wasn't about to tell Carly. She would be hurt if she found out what was happening. If Sam wasn't pregnant, then she wouldn't have to know at all.

"Em, why don't you go upstairs to the old iCarly studio?" Spencer asked. He knew that Carly deserved to know, but Emily should be kept in the dark for the time being.

"Okay," Emily agreed. She loved the studio. She didn't even suspect anything suspicious, but that was because the thirteen year old was still a little bit naïve, despite the fact that her mother had abandoned her at such a young age.

"What's going on?" Carly asked. She knew that Spencer wouldn't send Emily upstairs unless it was important. And important usually meant bad news.

"It's nothing important," Freddie lied. He could tell her this and get Carly to agree to the divorce, but that would probably be too cruel. And Freddie Benson wasn't a cruel person.

"Freddie, tell her now," Spencer ordered. He wanted to be near the two in case something happened. Who knew how Carly would react to the news that her best friend was potentially pregnant by her husband? Wow, that was really bad.

Freddie sighed. "Fine. Carly, sit down," he told her. This was going to be one of the hardest things he would ever have to say, besides asking her for divorce.

"You're really scaring me," Carly replied. Was Freddie asking her for a divorce? She was going to refuse to give him one, but Carly had a really bad feeling about this.

Freddie sat down next to his wife. "Sam told me today that she thinks she might be pregnant, but we won't be sure until she goes to the doctor in a few days," he explained. Inside, Freddie was panicking about Carly's reaction.

"Oh." Carly really wasn't sure how to react. She couldn't process the information she had just received. Sam was most likely pregnant with her husband's baby. That was okay. She and Freddie could work through that. They could deal with it. She would end up being a stepmother, but that was fine.

"That's it?" Spencer questioned. He expected her to start screaming at Freddie, but that wasn't happening. In fact, Carly didn't even seem mad.

"I think I broke her," Freddie whispered to his brother-in-law. He was scared. Carly was probably going to have a delayed reaction, and that was not good news. Scratch being scared. Freddie was downright terrified at this moment, and not just because Sam could be having his baby.

"I think you did too," Spencer whispered back. He had never known Carly to act like this, except for when she had told him about her pregnancy with Emily. Carly had been terrified of his reaction.

The door opened again, and Sam stepped through. Everyone turned to stare at her. "What?" she asked. Had Freddie told them? This was not good. She didn't want the news getting out.

"You should try for an earlier appointment," Carly advised. She didn't know why she was being so calm at this moment. Carly felt like she should be fuming instead, but she was numb.

"You told them?" Sam angrily asked Freddie. Why would he do that to her? Freddie had just betrayed her trust.

"I had no idea what to do or how to react," Freddie answered back, just as angry. Why did Sam have to get angry? He had friends he needed to talk to.

"I can wait for another two days," Sam informed Carly. It was just easy to drag it out instead of finding out news that could potentially change her and Freddie's lives for good.

"Maybe you can wait, but I'm pretty sure Freddie can't," Carly told her. She just knew that Freddie was probably panicking and going crazy.

"It's my body. I can wait, and that's what we're doing," Sam insisted. She didn't want to be pregnant, but not finding out seemed like a good idea.

"I want a divorce!" Freddie cried. He couldn't take the pressure anymore. He couldn't panic about a divorce and his girlfriend maybe being pregnant at the same time. He got the divorce papers out of his bag and handed them to Carly.

"I'm not giving you one," Carly declared. She put the papers in her purse, but had no intention of signing them. She was not going to divorce Freddie. They were meant to be together.

"Can we discuss this calmly?" Spencer hopefully asked. He wasn't sure what to do at this moment. Everything seemed to be happening at once.

"I'm going to go home," Freddie decided. He went to go call for Emily, but the other three stopped him. They needed to sit down and discuss what Carly's abandonment had done to them. They also needed to talk about the fact that Sam could be pregnant.

"You're staying," Spencer insisted. Carly had been back for a few days, but it was time they talked. Carly had hurt everyone when she left.

"Fine," Freddie replied. He reluctantly sat down next to his wife, soon to be ex-wife, if he got her to sign the papers. What were they supposed to talk about?

"Can I come down yet?" Emily asked tentatively from the top of the steps. She hadn't heard the conversations, but she knew that everyone was fighting.

"No," everyone called up to her. It was better if Emily didn't hear their conversation. They would talk to her separately, later.

"Go over and see your grandmother," Freddie suggested. That way, she wouldn't be in the apartment and hear the conversation they were about to have.

Emily sighed. "Okay," she reluctantly agreed. She went to go visit her grandmother and prepared to be cleaned several times.

"We would like to know the real reason why you left, and stop saying you can't tell us," Spencer said to his sister. They deserved to know why exactly Carly had left.

Carly sighed. "Freddie knows," she replied. Freddie had always known. That's why Carly didn't understand why he hadn't told them.

"No, I don't! Carly, I seriously have no idea _why _you left. Nobody even knows where you bolted to," Freddie commented. Maybe getting the truth would be good for everybody.

Carly sighed. "I went to live in New York. I was there up until a few days ago," she explained. Carly didn't know why she was putting of explaining why she had left, but it was happening.

"What'd you do in New York?" Sam asked. She was curious about that. Carly moving to New York made a little bit of sense.

"I worked there as a journalist for a small paper," Carly explained. She had tried dating for a little while, but no one had compared to Freddie.

"That's good," Sam answered. At least Carly had been doing something with her life after she had abandoned her family and friends.

Spencer sighed. "Why did you leave, Carls? Stop trying to stall and start explaining. We need to know, little sister."

Carly sighed and prepared to disappoint her family. (She considered Sam one of the family, despite the fact that she was sleeping with Freddie.) "Freddie and I decided to start trying for a baby about a year before I left," she started explaining.

"It took us only three months to conceive," Freddie cut in. Learning about Carly's pregnancy had been one of the exciting moments of his life.

"I'm guessing you miscarried," Sam said. Carly had been worried about miscarrying during her pregnancy with Emily for no apparent reason.

Carly nodded and tried not to cry. "I miscarried in my tenth week. We were going to tell you and Spencer once I hit the twelfth week mark, but that never even happened. And afterwards, I refused to let Freddie call you and tell you about my miscarriage. I didn't want anyone to know," she informed them.

"We were determined to start trying again as soon as were allowed," Freddie said. He hadn't wanted to give up on trying for a baby.

"When I went in for a check-up, the doctor gave us bad news," Carly explained. She still remembered that day clearly.

"What'd he tell you?" questioned a worried Sam. She should have been there for Carly. Maybe she could have supported her friends through their grief.

Carly sighed. "He told us that there was a slim chance of ever conceiving again. And if we somehow managed to conceive, the pregnancy wouldn't last. If I made it past the first twelve weeks, the pregnancy wouldn't last until the ninth month," she tearfully informed them.

"I'm sorry, Carls," Sam said. She grabbed Carly's hand to comfort her. She and Spencer really should have been there for Carly and Freddie during that horrible time.

"We were determined to make it through the rough time in our marriage," Freddie told them. He had been so hopeful. Freddie had been about to suggest adoption or surrogacy when his wife had left town.

"I couldn't handle it. I thought Freddie would end up hating or resenting me," Carly explained. It felt good to finally tell someone about her miscarriage and the subsequent devastation.

"That's why you left?" Freddie asked. He couldn't believe it. Maybe if he and Carly had just talked, she wouldn't have left.

Carly nodded. "That's why I left," she admitted. It seemed so stupid now, but it hadn't at the time.

"Why don't you and Freddie explain why you two got together now that Carly's explained why she left?" Spencer asked Sam. He figured he deserved to know. Carly deserved to know.

"You want to take it?" Sam asked her boyfriend. She wasn't sure if she wanted to even explain.

"No," Freddie said immediately. He didn't feel like explaining. Now that he knew why Carly left, Freddie felt emotionally drained.

"Fine. It was about a year ago. Spencer and I had been broken up for awhile. Carly had left four years before. We got drunk and one thing led to another," Sam informed them. It was a little ironic that she and Freddie had become a couple because of one drunken night.

"You two got together because you were drunk?" Spencer questioned. He wasn't surprised actually. Neither could hold their alcohol well, but getting drunk didn't mean that they had to become a couple.

Freddie nodded. "That's why we got together. We've been a couple for a year. We're happy," he lied. Freddie liked Sam, but he wasn't exactly happy with her.

"I've settled," Sam realized. Why hadn't she realized that she had settled with Freddie before? This was mind-blowing. Sam knew that she really should have figured out earlier.

"I don't love you. I can't," Freddie admitted to her. Were they breaking up now? He really didn't mind, except for the fact that Sam might be pregnant.

"I don't love you either, Freddie." Sam couldn't believe this was happening. Spencer had been right. Now that Carly was back, she and Freddie had not lasted.

"Why were we together for so long?" Sam asked. She didn't understand. She had been involved in a relationship for a year that had gone absolutely nowhere.

Freddie shrugged. "I have no idea, Sam. But I don't regret being with you." He and Sam were being really mature about this. He was surprised.

"I don't regret being with you either, Fredward. We're over, even if I'm pregnant or not?" Sam asked. She was feeling relief for the first time in a long time, despite the fact that she was still panicking about her potential pregnancy.

"We're over no matter what," Freddie agreed. He was also feeling relief, but Freddie realized that he still wanted a divorce from Carly.

"Friends still?" Sam asked hopefully. She and Freddie had been friends (and enemies) before. They could go back to that.

"Of course," Freddie assured her. Emily would be happy. She had been against the relationship from the start.

A relationship had just ended, but could Sam and Spencer could get back together?

XXXXXXX

A few days later, the group of friends were waiting impatiently for Sam's doctor to call. They still didn't know if she was pregnant or not.

"This is taking too long," Carly complained. She needed to know if her husband was going to be a father or not. He was still insisting on a divorce, but Carly was holding her ground on staying together.

The phone rang and everyone jumped. "Hello?" asked Sam.

"Calm down," Spencer advised Freddie. He had lived through a pregnancy scare with a previous girlfriend, and knew panicking was not a good reaction.

Sam hung up the phone. "I'm not pregnant!" she cried happily.

Sam and Freddie's problem had been solved, but what about Sam and Spencer and Carly and Freddie? They had to have talks with each other to solve their own problems. That was the most important thing at the moment.


	7. Chapter 7

Three days after Sam and Freddie's break-up, the awkwardness that had hung around them was gone. Carly, Freddie, and Spencer were thrilled by this.

"What are you doing?" Emily asked her father. He was setting up a video camera for some odd reason and wouldn't reveal why.

"You want to tell her?" Sam asked her ex-boyfriend. Carly and Spencer were downstairs talking.

"Sure. Years ago, we promised iCarly viewers that we'd have a reunion special someday. Your mother brought up the idea to do it now, and Aunt Sam and I agreed. The show will be airing in a few days, so we're rehearsing," Freddie explained to his daughter.

"Cool. Can I be a part of it?" an excited Emily questioned. She had watched every single episode of iCarly over the summer (It had taken awhile) and memorized every single segment.

Freddie, Sam, and Spencer looked at her. "Are you sure?" Spencer asked. He wouldn't have expected Emily to want to be a part of anything that Carly did.

Emily nodded. "I know every single segment and it seems like fun. Please," she begged. It would be awesome if she was a part of iCarly.

"Sure," Freddie agreed. He couldn't say no to his daughter at all, just like with Carly. Emily was his weakness. Freddie didn't mind, though.

"Yay!" Emily squealed. She bolted downstairs to the kitchen to tell Carly. Even though she disliked (Carly had been downgraded from hatred to dislike) her mother, she was so excited that she had to tell everyone.

"What's up?" Carly asked her daughter. Emily seemed really excited for some reason.

"Dad told me that I can be on iCarly," Emily explained happily and went to bolt outside.

"Where are you going, Emily?" Carly didn't want Emily getting hurt. That wasn't a good thing. She was glad that her daughter was going to be a part of iCarly.

"I'm going to tell Lewbert even though I hate him," Emily informed her mother before bolting down the hallway.

And with that, Carly went upstairs to prepare for the first iCarly in years. It was going to be fun.

XXXXXXX

Sam and Spencer were alone in the kitchen the next day. Carly was watching TV. Sam had been trying to avoid Spencer as much as she could, but it wasn't working.

"Sam, what are you doing?" Spencer asked. She was trying to avoid him, and it wasn't really working.

"What are you doing?" Sam shot back. She could play Spencer's games. Really. She didn't want to be with him anymore. Right?

"Stop avoiding the question," Spencer snapped. Neither Sam nor Spencer noticed that Carly was watching them. They also didn't know that Carly was rooting for them to get together.

"What are you talking about?" Sam deflected. This was going around in circles, but Sam didn't care. She didn't want to admit that she still loved Spencer. Wait, how had that happened? Sam thought that she wasn't in love with him anymore.

"Samantha Puckett, I still love you. I still love you more than anything. You're the best thing that ever happened to me, besides Carly. You're my soul mate. The love of my life," Spencer stressed. He normally didn't go for romantic speeches like this, but didn't care. He loved Sam too much to let her go again.

"Spence, I told you before that we wouldn't work well together. Besides, I just broke up with Freddie," Sam tried. She was right. If they had married before, they would have ended up divorced, just like her mother. Sam didn't want to end up like her mother.

"Sam, I've loved for a long time. You never loved Freddie anyway. Sam, you and Freddie weren't meant for each other. _We are_. Remember how happy you were when I proposed? We can have that again, Sam. I promise," Spencer told her. He really couldn't imagine his life without her.

"Say yes," Carly whispered from her new position at the kitchen counter. Why wasn't Sam saying yes yet? She needed to.

"What about you? Are you okay with our former relationship?" Sam asked her. She wasn't surprised that Carly was spying on them. Carly tended to get way too involved into things like this.

"As long as you're not with my husband, I don't care who you're with. Sam, you and Spencer should be together. It's obvious that you two love each other," Carly replied. She wanted Sam to be her sister-in-law so much. She wanted nieces and nephews from Sam and Spencer.

"I knew you would be supportive of us!" Spencer cried excitedly, but backed off when Sam glared at him.

"What about our age difference?" Sam asked. The age difference was a little big. She was twenty-nine and Spencer was forty-one.

"We're only twelve years apart, Sammy. It could be worse," Spencer pointed out. Twelve years wasn't that big of a deal.

"Marry him," Carly urged. She wanted to be Sam's matron of honor. Freddie could be Spencer's best man.

Sam and Spencer turned to stare at her. "We're good together, Sam. You can't deny that. Keeping our relationship a secret was bad, but I understand that you were scared. You don't have to be scared anymore, Sam. Everyone knows about us and they're okay with it," Spencer told her.

"I still love you so much," Sam admitted. She regretted breaking up with Spencer, but nothing could be done about that now.

"Will you marry me?" Spencer asked. He was nervous, but picking up where they left off was a good idea.

Sam nodded. "Yes, I'll marry you. Spence, I want to have your babies, unlike with Freddie. I just can't believe you've agreed to take me back after everything I'm done." She was getting ready to cry, and that was not a good thing at the moment.

"You two are really romantic," Carly sobbed. She went over and hugged her brother and future sister-in-law. She knew that Sam probably wouldn't want to cry, so crying for was a good thing. And yes, Carly was sticking with that excuse.

"You want to elope?" Sam asked her new fiancée. She didn't want a fancy wedding. Carly and Freddie hadn't even had a fancy wedding, but that had been because of two year old Emily.

Seven hours later, after a two hour plane trip, Sam and Spencer were married are flying to Vegas with Marissa Benson, Freddie, Carly, and Emily in tow.

Miss Sam Puckett had just become Mrs. Samantha Shay, and she didn't regret it. She had just married the love of her life. Spencer felt the same way.

Carly and Freddie still weren't exactly right, but at least everything else was falling back into place.


	8. Chapter 8

Carly, Freddie, Spencer, Sam, Emily, and Marissa Benson went home the next day. The twenty-nine year olds (minus Emily, since she wasn't home) begin preparing for the iCarly reunion special the next day.

"It's going to be awesome," Sam commented to her new sister-in-law. She was so happy about marrying Spencer. They had decided not to go on a honeymoon because of eloping. They had already decided to start trying for a baby immediately. Both wanted to be parents soon.

Carly nodded her head in agreement. "I wonder if all our old viewers will tune in," she wondered. She doubted it, but it would be nice.

"Most of them probably don't even think about the show anymore," Freddie replied. He backed off when Sam and Carly glared at his. Having his ex-girlfriend and wife stare at him was really scary.

"Don't say that," Sam hissed. Now that she was thinking clearly, Sam had forgiven Carly for leaving and was rooting for Freddie and Carly to get back together. They still loved each other. That much was obvious.

"It's okay. He's right. I just wish Freddie would just come out and say what was really wrong," Carly said. She didn't know what Freddie's problem was. She had been back now for a while.

"What are you talking about?" Freddie tried. He was getting angrier and angrier that Carly wasn't signing the divorce papers. That was all.

"You've been angry at me for days, but you won't admit it. One minute you're nice to me and the next you're mad at me," Carly explained. She didn't understand what was wrong with her husband.

"That's because you won't sign the divorce papers!" Freddie screamed. He knew he shouldn't be yelling, but Freddie was getting sick and tired of waiting.

A hurt Carly stared at him. Even Sam was hurt by proxy. "I love you, Freddie, but you can't seem to understand that I'm sorry," Carly told him. She had apologized numerous times. Why wouldn't Freddie forgive her?

"That's because you were selfish when you left," Freddie yelled back. He had been hurting about the miscarriage too, but had he bolted? No, he hadn't.

"I was hurting!" Carly cried. She had still been reeling from the miscarriage and the fact that she and Freddie would never have another baby.

"So I was," Freddie shot back. Carly had prevented him from telling Spencer and Sam about the miscarriage, since they hadn't even told anyone about the pregnancy. He had to grieve in silence.

"You weren't the one who was pregnant!" Carly screamed. She was ready to start sobbing, but Carly was not about to give Freddie the satisfaction.

"But it was still my baby!" Freddie shot back. He didn't want to see Carly, or he would break down too and that was not an option.

Sam was standing in the kitchen, eating and trying not to cry. She didn't understand why Carly and Freddie's fight was making her want to cry, but blamed it on the stress of the past few days. "Stop fighting!" she cried. Sam couldn't handle this anymore. Why did everyone have to fight?

The two ignored her. Spencer exited the elevator, having heard the fight from upstairs. "And like Sam said a few days ago, it was my body! I was the one who was nourishing life! You weren't!" Carly screamed at her husband.

"I knew marrying you was a mistake, Carly! I should have known from the moment you got knocked up at sixteen! I love Emily, but I'm not sure why I ever loved you!" Freddie shot back. This had been building up for five years, and nothing was going to strong Freddie Benson now.

"I hate you!" Carly screamed. It was very childish, but she was so hurt that screaming that she hated her husband was the only retort she could come up with at the moment.

"Real mature, Carly Shay!" Freddie really hoped that the divorce could be over and done with, so his marriage to Carly could be forgotten about. It had obviously been a making.

"Carly Shay-Benson! Not that it matters. Newflash, Freddie! You're lucky that you even met me! You'd still be a loner if iCarly hadn't happened!" Carly was starting to get irritated. She also wanted to go somewhere and cry for a few hours. That would be a good thing.

"Will you two shut up and calm down?" Spencer asked. He was getting sick and tired of the fighting, and didn't want to see either hurt. Neither of them deserved that pain.

"Leave them alone for now, Spence. They need to get this out of their system," Sam told her new husband. She kissed Spencer to distract him. Sam was also glad that Emily was out with her friends for a few hours. She didn't need to hear her parents fighting.

"I love you, Baby," Spencer told her when they pulled apart. He was so glad that he suggested eloping to Vegas. He and Sam really weren't the big wedding type.

Sam laughed. "I love you too, Spencer. So much," she whispered back. Carly and Freddie were fighting in the background, but Sam only cared about Spencer at this point in time.

"Why don't you leave?" Carly snapped at her husband. Freddie was driving her crazy. She would take over the apartment, so Sam and Spencer could be alone.

"Because you left first!" Freddie snapped back. He didn't want to fight anymore, but maybe that would get through to Carly.

"You hated me!" Carly just wished this fighting would stop. She and Freddie had never fought this much before, even after the miscarriage had devastated the family. Even Emily hadn't known of her pregnancy.

"I never hated you! You just got insecure like you always do and assumed that I did!" Freddie was starting to get distracted by Sam and Spencer making out in the kitchen. It looked like they were do something more than making out, and that was not a good thing.

"Pay attention and stop staring at Sam and Spencer! You let me walk out that door! You told me that if I left, I should stay gone. So I did. I was gone for five years!" Carly revealed. She and Freddie had been fighting for several days, and Carly had decided to leave. Freddie hadn't said anything as she walked out of the door and left Seattle.

Sam and Spencer stopped making out for a few seconds to stare at the two in shock. "You told me that she left without telling anyone or even you!" Spencer commented. This was completely new information to him and Sam.

"I lied. She's the one who want to leave," Freddie replied. The anger was leaving, and was being replaced by another feeling.

Carly sighed. "I know you don't love me anymore, Freddie. It's okay. Really. I'll sign the divorce papers," she decided.


	9. Chapter 9

Carly didn't want a divorce, but it was definitely obvious that Freddie didn't want to be her husband anymore. "I'll get my remaining stuff out of the apartment as soon as possible," she told him.

"You two should sit down and have a real talk," Sam suggested to her sister-in-law and ex-boyfriend. They hadn't actually talked, but just ignored each other, changed the subject, or fought.

"Sam's right. You two have a daughter to think about. Carly left, and it was a stupid decision, but it happened anyway," Spencer said. He just wanted there to be peace, and he sure Sam, Emily, and Mrs. Benson agreed.

"You're just agreeing with Sam because you're married now," Carly snapped. She had ruined everything by leaving, but the ruining everything had started with the miscarriage.

Sam shook her head. "No, he's agreeing with me because you two are both acting like idiots and we're sick of it," she explained. Sam and Spencer just wanted peace. Was that too much to ask for?

Freddie sighed. "He's right, Carly. We do need to sit down and have a long talk," he told his wife.

Carly closed her eyes. "Can we just wait until after iCarly tomorrow? That way, we could have time to talk and bring up good points." She didn't want to deal with the stresses of a divorce on the reunion show tomorrow.

"Sure," Freddie reluctantly agreed. He didn't want to think about this yet, either. Now was not the time to get depressed over his marriage probably ending.

Carly sighed in relief. Now, she would have to rehearse and try not to think about the fact that her husband probably hated her now, and it was all her fault. "Great. Thanks, Freddie."

"They're going to get back together," Spencer said confidently. Freddie had always loved Carly, and that was not going to change. Carly had made a mistake, and she knew it.

"I'm not so sure," Sam replied. She had a really bad feeling now, and it was pointing to Carly and Freddie divorcing. Sam hoped they didn't, but they had been through too much in such a short time.

"Don't say that, Sammy. I think they'll work this one out." Spencer was positive they would. He knew his sister and brother-in-law like the back of his hand.

"I love your optimism, Spence." Sam really did. Spencer had always been the most optimistic person she had ever met.

"Thanks," Spencer replied. He and his wife began making out again. Carly and Freddie, lost in their own thoughts, ignored the two.

XXXXXXX

Later that night, Sam and Spencer were discussing their new marriage after making love several times. "I'm so glad I married you," Spencer whispered.

Sam smiled at him. "I'm so sorry I was stupid earlier. I was just scared of what people would think, and that was really stupid of me, Spence. We could have been together for five years and had babies by now." Although she and Spencer were waiting for kids, Sam couldn't wait to become a mother.

Spencer smiled back at her. "I love the idea of you and me with babies, Sammy. But we were supposed to break up to realize that we were both stupid. I forgive you, Baby."

"What do you think any future babies will look like?" Sam questioned. She hoped they looked like Spencer. Thinking about babies with Spencer and that looked like Spencer made her feel all tingly.

"I hope they look like you," Spencer confessed. He had a picture in his head of a little girl that looked and acted like Sam, but loved to something with art. Maybe paint.

"I hope they look like you, Spence." Sam had a clear picture of a little boy acting like his daddy and eating a lot of food.

"How many do you want?" Spencer asked. He had experience with kids as a result of raising Carly, and raising his own kids wouldn't be that hard.

Sam shrugged. "Maybe two or three," she decided. If she and Spence had a son and a daughter, that would be enough. If they had two daughters, trying for a son would be great. If they had two sons, trying for a daughter would also be fun.

"Two or three is great," Spencer agreed. He and Sam would have to move eventually, but Spencer didn't care. He had lived in this apartment since his junior year of college. It would be hard to let go of the place, considering everyone had so many memories here, but a house would be nice too.

"I love you," Sam replied. She was never going to get tired of saying that to her husband. She was finally married, and Sam was the happiest she had been in a long time.

"I love you too, Sam." Spencer kissed her. It got a little bit more headed.

This would be the fifth time tonight they would make love, but Sam and Spencer didn't care. They were newlyweds.

They wouldn't know until later that they had just conceived their first child.

XXXXXXXX

The iCarly reunion web show had been the most watched web show in years, and everyone was thrilled about this.

"I'm so happy for us," Sam said. She couldn't wait for Carly and Freddie to leave (and talk) so she and Spencer could celebrate.

"I had fun," Emily informed them. She was starving, but knew that Uncle Spencer and Aunt Sam would probably want some time alone. Emily was going over to her grandmother's as usual. She loved hanging out with her grandma, even though she was crazy.

"You always have fun at stuff like this," Freddie pointed out to his daughter. She got excited about lots of things. That was the Carly in her.

"You're right," Emily conceded. She liked having fun, and hanging out with her parents, aunt, and uncle.

"We should go out to dinner tomorrow night," Spencer declared. He would even make up a sculpture to celebrate the iCarly reunion's success.

XXXXXX

After Emily went over to Marissa Benson's apartment, and Sam and Spencer went into their bedroom to celebrate, Carly and Freddie went back to Freddie's apartment to have a long overdue talk.

Carly sighed before deciding to start the conversation. "I love you, Freddie. I've always regretted leaving you. I was very irrational after the miscarriage. I never meant to hurt anybody," she explained.

"I'm sorry about yelling at you the other day, Carls. I overreacted. I love you too, Carly. I don't want our marriage to end," Freddie replied. After he had finally calmed down and thought things through, he had realized that he still wanted to be with Carly.

"Do you think we could get back together?" asked a hopeful Carly. She was holding her breath, but maybe Freddie would agree.

Freddie thought about that for a minute. "I think we should separate and go to marriage counseling or something. We'll get back after six months or a year," he suggested. Freddie had come up with that idea earlier, actually.

"Okay," Carly immediately agreed. She would do anything to save her marriage to Freddie.

"We can work through our problems," Freddie assured her. He should have realized earlier how insecure Carly was. She was still feeling guilty for getting pregnant at sixteen.

The next few years would pass by quickly for Sam, Spencer, Carly, Freddie, and Emily.


	10. Epilogue

**June 10****th****, 2036: Emily Shay-Benson's Wedding Reception**

Carly Shay-Benson as she watched Emily dance with her new husband, Matthew Averick. She was so happy for her daughter, and so was Freddie. Freddie had proudly walked Emily down the aisle. She and Sam had been crying through the entire ceremony, but that had been expected.

"What are you thinking about?" Freddie asked. He couldn't wait until Emily and Matthew got to the good music. All the music out now was crap, but they liked it.

"I'm remembering the day she was born," a wistful Carly remembered. It seemed like only yesterday she had been a scared sixteen year old about to give birth to her first child. As least she had had help.

"We were young then," Sam Shay commented. She stopped talking when Spencer, Carly, and Freddie glared at her. They didn't want to think about how old they were getting. They knew.

"What are your kids doing?" Freddie asked Sam and Spencer, changing the subject. He just noticed that the Shay kids seemed up to something.

"I'll go stop them," Spencer immediately decided. Sam was trying to quiet their recently woken up two year old daughter, Isadora. Isadora was their sixth and final child.

"I still can't believe you two had six kids," Carly told her brother and sister-in-law. Spencer and Sam were done for good now. Spencer had willingly gone in for a vasectomy after learning of his wife's six pregnancy.

"Remember that only one out of six were planned," Sam reminded her sister-in-law. Their third baby had been planned, but that was it.

"Spencer has super sperm," Freddie said absently. He didn't notice Sam and Carly shooting him confused looks. It was true, but no one said it out loud. Everyone was still surprised that Spencer hadn't knocked up Sam during the first try of their relationship.

"You didn't have to bring it up," Sam replied. She was thrilled that she was getting older and couldn't get pregnant anymore anyway. At least Spencer's vasectomy was working.

"I'm just glad that Freddie and I are done ourselves," Carly explained. She and Freddie had reunited after a year of separation. They still attended marriage counseling, but had eventually returned to normal.

"You only have three kids," Spencer pointed out, bringing thirteen year old daughter Bree and twelve year old son Caleb with him. The two had gotten into a fight over some stupid thing, and Spencer had to break it up.

"I like that I'm one of six," Bree declared. It was fun having such a big family, and she liked helping her parents take care of her five younger siblings.

"Bree, you always say that," Carly answered. She loved her niece so much, but Bree got a little bit too happy about being the oldest of six.

Ten year old Alexandra Shay went to go visit her mother, complaining about the music. She also just wanted to ignore the little boy from Matthew's side of the family that was chasing her. "He's annoying," she whined to Sam.

"It's okay, Ally. You won't think that soon," Sam assured her daughter. She knew it. Ally would probably start liking a boy sometime in the next year.

Spencer and Sam's other two children, six year old Jayden and five year old Rebecca were in the middle of the dance floor, trying to dance with the other children attending the wedding.

"They're having fun," Freddie observed of his two nieces. He was glad that Emily and Matthew had decided to invite kids. As much as Marissa Benson claimed that Sam and Spencer's kids were her own grandchildren, she couldn't handle all six of them at once. They drove her crazy.

"I think you should go dance with Em," Carly told her husband. Emily and Matthew were starting to get tired of dancing, and needed a break.

"Okay," Freddie agreed. He went over to his daughter, and the two began to dance as a new song came on.

"You do realize that today is the anniversary of the day you came back after five years away?" Sam asked her sister-in-law. Isadora had fallen asleep again after being entertained by her older siblings.

Carly nodded. "I realized that a few weeks after Em and Matthew set the date. I think it was a very important date for all of us." She was still so happy that Emily had eventually forgiven her and stopped hating her.

"It's hard to believe it's been thirteen years," Spencer chimed in. These past thirteen years had passed by so quickly.

"We're changed a lot," Sam commented. She never would have expected at fourteen to be married to Spencer Shay and have six children with him.

"So much," Carly agreed. She could sometimes barely remember being a fourteen year old and doing iCarly. That had been one of the best times in her life. She had had fun with Sam, Spencer, and Freddie.

"We've grown up." Spencer could still remember the days when he had been excited to watch his little sister, the little girl he had raised, on iCarly. Sam and Freddie had been over a lot then, but that was still true.

"We have families now," Carly replied, happily watching her daughter and husband dance. Emily had never met her biological father, and never planned on it. She had said he didn't deserve to meet her.

"Who have thought that getting pregnant at sixteen wouldn't end your world? You raised a pretty good kid," Sam informed her sister-in-law. She had been skeptical of Carly being able to raise a baby at sixteen, but those doubts had eventually been erased.

"She didn't help out with raising her for five years," Freddie pointed out. He was done dancing and had only had the last part of the conversation.

"He's right, Sam. Freddie helped out with that for five years, and I'm very grateful for that." Carly was just glad that Freddie didn't resent her for leaving Emily with him for that long.

"I just glad you realized you made a mistake," Spencer said. He had missed his sister so much.

"I'm so happy you came back and didn't leave again," Sam confessed. She hadn't revealed her fears of Carly leaving again for thirteen years, but it had been a long time. It was obvious that Carly was not going to bolt again. She was forty-three and more mature.

Three month old Gillian Shay-Benson let out a small cry in the double stroller, interrupting the conversation. Twin brother Aidan continued to sleep. "Mommy's here," Carly assured her second daughter. Gillian and Aidan had been the result of a surprise pregnancy for Carly and Freddie. They had been forty-two when Carly had become pregnant, and forty-three upon the twins' arrival.

Fears of a miscarriage had plagued the pregnancy during the first trimester, especially since it was high-risk pregnancy to begin with because of Carly's age. In her sixth month of pregnancy, she had placed on bed rest because of premature labor. Carly had developed pre-eclampsia in her thirty-third week of pregnancy, and the babies had been born five weeks early as a result. They were healthy now, but it had been a very stressful pregnancy.

"Daddy's here too," Freddie said when Aidan woke up and joined his sister in crying.

Life had changed drastically in thirteen years, but the five years Carly Shay-Benson had been gone had changed everything.

Everything was great now, and that wasn't about to change.


End file.
